There were pumpkins

and pumpkins and yet more pumpkins...and then there were mounds of chocolate and lurid coloured sweets. There were masks and bats and hats and other things as well.
There was also a Christmas tree near the automatic doors...and probably more Christmas trees somewhere else. I did not look. I do not want to know about these things.
It is not that I am a party-pooper or that I refuse to join in the fun but I do not like the commercialisation of events.
When I was a mere kitten I had never heard of Halloween. It was never mentioned at school. We would have been puzzled by it. My first taste of Halloween was when an American family I knew made a Halloween pumpkin for their small son. He was so frightened by it that they promptly threw it out.
To me that was a waste of a good pumpkin that could have been eaten. As we were all living in a hall of residence at the time and most of us were (very) short of money it hurt even more.
That was the end of Halloween until about fifteen years ago it began to sneak in here. It was a small thing at first. Now it is much larger. Yes, those pumpkins are huge - and so are the profits.
We don't need it.
We certainly don't need it mixed in with Christmas. We don't need Christmas trees up now. They can wait until the twelve days of Christmas as far as I am concerned.
The Senior Cat and I do not bother with a tree. We don't put up the few cards we get. (The Senior Cat refuses to write cards, especially to people he sees on a regular basis.)
I know, it's all a bit sad but we have our fair share of fun and games without all that.
There are children around here. Most of them are too young to go "trick or treating". The Whirlwind's school ignores it - which is probably just as well. She has strong negative views on Halloween - ever since their old letter box got blown to pieces by young vandals who were not given a "treat" by her father.
The older children are also likely to ignore it. Their parents do not approve. There might be children from further afield. I hope not.
There is a polite notice on our door anyway - asking people not to knock.
I might make pumpkin soup instead.